Fruit-box



(No Model.)

H. O. LITTLE.

FRUIT BOX.

No. 584,044. Patented June 8,1897.

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PAL/2W- UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.

FRUiT-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,044, dated June 8, 189?.

Application filed February 19,1897. Serial No. 624,128 '(NomodeL) To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. LITTLE, of Bridg'ewater, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit- Boxes, of which the following; is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel packing receptacle for fruit or other produce, and has for its object to provide a receptacle of the class in which the handle shall be adjustable for the twofold purpose of making the box compact for storage and shipment and of lockin g the cover in its closed position.

Theinvention consists in theimprovcmen ts which I shall now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fruit-box embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the box closed. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, on a somewhat larger scale.

The same letters and n umerals of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a wooden box or basket provided with a movable cover a, a bottom 0, and a verticallysliding handle I). The cover is here shown as fitted to slide in grooves or guides formed in the body of the box. The bottom may also be similarly adapted to slide, if desired.

The handle I) is preferably composed of a length of wire which is bent to form two side arms 2 2, a cross-bar 3, and inwardly-projecting ears 4 4:. The arms 2 are adapted to slide on the sides of the box and are here shown as guided by two staples cl d, driven into the box at opposite points near the upper edges of the sides. The cars 4 project into vertical grooves or slots A, formed in the sides of the box below the staples d. The ears 4: abut against the upper ends of the slots A when the handle is in its raised or drawn position and enable the box to be supported by means of the handle, the ears and the slot ends constituting complemental stop members.

The cover a, has a transverse groove a on its upper surface, adapted to receive the cross bar portion of the handle I when the cover is closed and the said handle depressed, the said groove being preferably of suiiicient depth and width to receive the entire thickness of the cross-bar, so that it may present no obstruction above the surface of the cover. The cross-bar serves to lock the cover or prevent it from sliding in its guides. Thus when the box is closed and its handle depressed it is in compact form, there being no protruding handle.

Ventilation may be provided by perforatin g or forming openings in the box wherever desired.

In case it is desired to use a flatmetal handle instead of a round Wire one the construction would be altered to the extent of providing slightly-different guides for the handle, such as studs riveted in the sides of the box and projecting into slots formed in each of the side arms I reserve the right to a proper degree of variation in details of construction afiecting any of the parts in my lDlproved fruit-receptacle.

The handle maybe made of wood, if desired, instead of metal. In either case the piece of which the handle is made may be either round or rectangular in cross-section.

I claim 1. A fruit box or basket comprising a body portion, a handle adjustable on said body portion and adapted to be raised to an operative position and to be depressed, and a movable cover having a groove or recess arranged to engage the depressed handle.

2. A fruit box or basket comprising a body, a handle having arms engaged with said body and adapted to slide thereon, and a crossbar extending across the body, the said arms and body being provided with complemental stop members which limit the sliding movements of the handle, and a movable cover provided with a groove adapted to receive the crossbar of the handle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day. of February, A. D. 1897.

HENRY O. LITTLE.

lVitnesses R. M. Prnnson, w P. W. PEZZETTI. 

